Jaiswal booked for 'old wife' comment

Kanpur: A case has been lodged against Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal in a Kanpur court on Wednesday for his 'old wife' comment.

Petitioner and social activist Anita Dua said the Union Coal Minister should be charged with defamation and making obscene remarks in public.

Dua also submitted a CD and newspaper clippings as evidences against Jaiswal.

"The petitioner, Anita Dua, who runs an NGO Lakshya, has said that Mr Jaiswal should be charged with defamation and making obscene comments in public. Ms Dua has submitted a CD of Mr Jaiswal's remarks and newspaper clippings as evidence," NDTV reported.

The court will hear the case on Oct 8. The court will also record Dua's statement on that day.

Jaiswal might be sent to jail for a maximum period of two years in case he is found guilty of defamation.

He might be sentenced for three months in case he is charged and convicted for obscene remarks.

Jaiswal on Tuesday apologised for his 'old wife' comment but said it was quoted out of context.

He created a controversy as he described India's recent victory against Pakistan in a World T20 match with new marriage.

"I was quoted out of context," Jaiswal told media. "If anyone has been offended, I apologise."

While addressing a gathering in Kanpur on Monday, Jaiswal said: "A new victory and a new marriage have their own significance. The memories of a victory fades away with time. Similarly, an old wife loses her charm with time."

India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) crticised Jaiswal for his comments and said one can judge the standard of the Congress on the basis of these 'utterances'.

"We can judge the standard of Congress on the basis of these utterances. It showed that how low the Congress can sink," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

According to reports, BJP women workers even burnt an effigy of the minister and defaced his posters.

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Mamta Sharma demanded Jaiswal's apology and said they would write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi on the issue.